Zhanjiang hydrogen shaft furnace begins operation, produces first molten steel

China Baowu Steel Group/Zhanjiang Hydrogen Furnace

China Baowu's Zhanjiang facility began operation of its hydrogen-based shaft furnace on December 23, 2023, producing the first heat of 220 tonnes of molten steel. This marked the world's first 1 million-tonne-per-year hydrogen direct reduction furnace at commercial scale, replacing coke with hydrogen as the primary reducing agent.